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Now in Japan
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Written by maehara
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Tuesday, 06 June 2006 00:00 |
 Another day, another fantasy OVA series based on a
videogame. With fantasy being one of the more overdone genres out
there, does Eien no Aseria bring a unique selling point
to the mix? Not really - but it does have a general sense of fun
about it that makes is appealing despite the lack of originality...
1 - The Voice of "Desire"
When Kaori and Yuto Takamine
made their annual visit to their parents' grave, it seemed like just
another rainy day, but the arrival of Kaori's childhood friend Akitsuki
- a boy with a real chip on his shoulder - soon spoils the mood and
leads to an all-out brawl between Yuto and Akitsuki. The feelings
of hatred between the two quickly attract the attentions of a demon who
can feed on such emotions, and the three find themselves transported to
the land of Laquois. There, Kaori is taken hostage, and Yuto,
identified by the locals as a legendary Etrange, is ordered to fight
& protect his lands by Laquois'. To help him, he's handed the
sword Desire - a sword endowed with the spirit of the demon he'd heard
earlier...
2 - Aligning with Destiny
Two
months have now passed since Yuto and Kaori first arrived in Laquois,
and in that time it seems to Yuto that he's done nothing but
fight. The girls don't even know what they're fighting for, much
less when it will end - with spirits not being considered human, the
kingdoms of this world are quite happy to use them as they please over
every little dispute, and they're quite happy to just follow their
orders. Yuto's not at all happy with seeing them considered
disposable in that way, and sets about trying to change some
opinions. Back in the King's castle, meanwhile, Lestina agrees to
allow Kaori to visit Yuto - but before she can arrange it, the castle
is attacked by invading spirits, who after killing the king seize
Kaori...
A
quick definition to get things started: an Etrange is one who has come
from another world (so it's apparently not too uncommon here).
It's fairly clear from the start that Akitsuki - who is perhaps the
most unlikeable anime male I've seen in a while - was also transported
along with Yuto and Kaori, but since he doesn't directly appear in
these episodes seems to have appeared somewhere else. It's hinted
that he may be the one behind Kaori's kidnapping, which would make
sense if you were looking to set up some real conflict - which is the
one thing that Eien no Aseria is really missing at this point, as the
fighting between the girls, while presented well enough, isn't really
"real". No blood, no guts, just a little chime when one of them
is hit by a sword and that's it - it's all very game-y.
Yuto
ends up living with three of the spirits during his stay in Laquois,
which also serves to bring a slight harem feel to proceedings.
Orpha is the red-headed little girl who wants to see Yuto as her daddy
(since spirits have no real family of their own); Esperia is the
helpful maid-type and leader of the bunch; while Aseria was the one who
first found Yuto when he appeared in Laquois. She's the most
warrior-like of the bunch and, given her name also appears in the
show's name, someone who I'd guess is destined to play a lead role.
The
other main "character" is the sword of Desire, which can only be
wielded by an Etrange. It has a definite demonic aura to it, with
its deep, evil voice and desire for mana - the life-force of the
spirits, amongst other things - so I have to wonder how being linked to
it will affect Yuto over the long term. I'm also wondering if
Akitsuki has manged to get his hands on something similar - although
he's quite evil enough already. :)
Overall, then, there's nothing really original here, but Eien no Aseria
does have enough of a sense of fun about it to be worth watching - and
as an OVA series, it's unlikely to be long enough for that to wear thin
before the end of the series. Worth a look, and one I'll probably
be keeping an eye on... |
